Air-brake.



Patented May 22, I900.

No. 650,0l6.

W. B. MANN.-

AIR BRAKE.

(Application filed Aug. 17, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

6 IIIIl/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/I/ Patented May 22, I900.

No. 650,0l6.

w. B. MANNY.

A l R B R A K E (Application filed. Aug. 17, 1899.)

,2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TVILLIAM B. MANN, OFBALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

' AIR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,016, dated May 22, 1900.

Application filed August 17, 1899. Serial No. 727,549- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be'it known that I, YVILLIAM' B. MANN, a

citizen of the United States, residing in thecity of Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Air- Brakes, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

My invention relates to air-brakes for railway-trains,and more particularly to the triple valve mechanism employed to regulate the passage of the air to and from the brake-cylinder for the application of the brakes.

The object of the invention is to provide a quick-action triple valve which may be promptly andaccurately operated to perform all the functions of such valves, yet simple in construction, efficientin operation, and not liable to get out of order.

With this object in view the invention consists in the triple-valve device hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

The inventive idea involved may assume various mechanical forms, one of which I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein-- Figure 1 is alongitudinal vertical section of my triple-valve mechanism, parts being shown in elevation-and the various valves and the piston in the positions which they occupy when the brakes are released. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the parts in the position which they occupy when making a service application of the brakes. Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 1 looking from the right with the auxiliary reservoir and pipe leading to the brake-cylinder removed. Fig. 4. is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the parts in the position which they occupy during an emergency application. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the valve-casing, showing the parts in the bottom thereof. Fig. 6 is a longi tudinal sectional view of the valve-chamber I; and Fig. 7 is an end view of Fig. 6.

Referring to the figures of the drawings, in which like reference-letters refer to like partsin all the several views, A represents a valve-casing B, the auxiliary reservoir O, the pipe leading to the brakeecylinder D, the passage leading to the train-pipe, and E a place for attaching the usual drip-cup.

d is a passage leading from the train-pipe to the exterior or train-pipe side of the piston F, and d is a passage leading past the check valve G and through the port H to the valve- ;chamber I upon the auxiliary-reservoir side to the train-pipe, M, leading to the brakecylinder, N, leading to the vent V, which is in communication with the atmosphere, and also the port 0, leading from the valve-chamher to the brake-cylinder. The main valve or passage P, having ports pp opening to the base of the valve, said ports being so spaced as to exactly register with ports H M when the valve is in emergency position, (shown in Fig. 4,) the length of the valve L being such that in this position the port 0 is fully uncovered. A second duct or passage Q is formed in the body of the valve L, which duct or passage communicates with the valvechamber through the port q and with the face of the valve through the port (1 and oblong port (1 Between the ports q q there is a valve-seat g and when the valve is in charging position there is seated thereon a valve if, having a winged valve-stem g extending outward through the end of the main valve L and operatively connected to the head K by means of the reduced neck portion g on the valve-stem engaging with the slot 7; in the head K, as will readily be understood by inspection of Fig. 3. There is a certain amount of lost motion between the valve L and the head K on the piston-stem f, so that before the head K contacts with the valve L to move the same the valve q in unseated, thereby opening communication between the ports q and q.

On the auxiliary-reservoir side of the piston F there isformed a slightly-raised annular flange f, which is ground, so as to make a close joint with the projecting end't'of the bushing in the valve-chamber I, said flange and bushing being of same diameter.

f is a small duct or passage cut across the flangef, whereby when the piston is in the position shown in Fig. 1 and the flange f L has formed in the body thereof a large duct The usual feed duct or passage f is formed in the wall of the piston-cylinder F, whereby when the piston F is in release or charging position air y pa s f om the t in-p peeide of the piston F to the auxiliary-reservoir side; but when the piston F is shifted slightly to the left the passage of air through said duct is cut off in a manner which will-be readily understood.

The operation of the device asthus far de.- 1

scribed is as follows: V

Charging aum'Ziar y' reservoir. Air bein g permitted by the engineer to pass from the main reservoir into the train-pipe, it enters the passages d and d, but in order to enter "the latter has-to overcome the tension of the,

spring controlling the check-valve G,- so that the movement of the air through the passage 01 is more rapidthan through d The resultof this is that the air-pressure on the trainpipe side of the piston F is obtained slightly in advance of that on the auxiliary-reservoir side of; said piston, and the parts are therefore instantly thrown to release position, hown in Fig- 1,) eby h re e-ey i der is'placed in communication with, the atmosphere through portsM p, duct R ports 0 N, and vent V. At the same time air is 3 l rapidly passed in large quantities past the check -valve G, through the passage d, port I-1I, valve-cl1amber I, and openings k into the auxiliary reservoir B, A comparativelysmall-a nount of air also passes in through theafeed-ducts f f. The only connection between the piston and the Valve L being th ough. he p s on-h K n l t-ste g of h al q a dy a i r y eated;

inthe-act of moving the parts to release position, h reby e e g om unicatio between the ports q q and moving the port g outeflregister with the brake-cylinder port 0. l Service application of the bra7ces.Th auxiliaryreservoir being charged, a slight re duc-' tion of train-pipe pressure below that contained inthe auxiliary reservoir causes the piston: F to make a partial traverse of its cylind'er F" to theposition shown in Fig, 2. The pressure on the train-pipe side of the'valve G beingless than that on the-auxiliary-reser ve n-r side, th ame is fi m y eld t its ea byv the combined action ofits spring and the ainp e snreaen h p o F having sh f ed Past he f dtfi' the ux li ry s voir isentirely shut efi from the train-pipe, and communication between the brake-cylinder and the atmosphere is also'closed, as will be understood by inspecting Fig. 2. In this positiomhowever, the valve q is unseated and the port g is immediately over the port 0, leading to the brake-cylinder, and air therefore passes from the auxiliary reservoir into the valve-chamber and through the port q, t Q, p rt q, q a d 0 to t eb eke y i der until the pressure on the auxiliary-reservoir side of the piston F has fallen toa point ;the' auxiliary reservoir.

very slightly below that on the train-pipe side thereof, when the piston F will slightly shift to the right, seating the valve (1 but without moving the valve L. In this position communication between. the auxiliary reservoir pass from the auxiliary reservoir to the brakecylinder.

This operation may, if desired, be repeated until the pressure in the'auxiliary reservoir and: the'br'ake-cylinder has become equalized.

Emergency application.Whenitis desired tosecure the emergency application of the brakes, & large and sudden reduction in trainpipe pressure is initiated by the engineer through the engineers valve, thereby causing? the piston F to make its full traverse from any position in which it may at the moment occupy to the position shown in Fig. 4. While the valve Lis shifting to this position and'b efore the valve is moved far enough to uncover the port 0, communication is opened from the train-pipe to the brake-cylinder through the port I-I, duct P, and port M,whe reby the train-pipe is suddenly vented into the brake-cylinder in advance of auxiliary-reservoir pressure entering through the port 0, and upon the'valve P reaching the position shown in Fig. 4, uncovering port 0, the train- 1 pipe remains in unobstructed communication with the brake-cylinder until such time as the pressure in the latter equals that of train- ,p p p s re, when the ack p s ur from th rake-cy nde a ti g n njn et io w Ithe spring, closes the che ck-valveG By this uneans the passage of air from the train-pipe to the brakecylinder in order to secure that quick venting'of the pipe upon which quick r a e xd p n s i n check d hyh i-nrush of air from the auxiliary reservoir; to Q the brake-cylinder, the train-pipe being vent- ;ed to a degree sufficient tosecure quick}serial action before any. substantial pressure has 5 enter rak -ey inder e he au ilia y reservoir. lh akes w n he parts are eit er int e posi- Etien, h w in F g 2 or Figi may he lqn k y ennpl hed y t ete ing rain-pip pressure through the engineers Valve, when h pa i l sta tly shi t o he positi h uld it be des d r lease the ho n in s- 1 and the u il ary reservoir i be n t nt y harge th h the pa sa i p fl e h mber La d the openin Join the head K. Heretofore an appreeiable nnt m s be nee sume nehar %ing or recharging the auxiliary reservoir because of the amou-ntof time required for nece a y p ss re to pass through the feed-duct f on its way from thetrain-pipe to The construction y u i a y rese voi an. be inistantly recharged to its maximum pressureis ?of the utmost importance, as it enables the engineer when going down long grades to recharge his depleted reservoir before his train can gain such momentum as to get beyond his control, thereby rendering the use of retaining-Valves unnecessary. If it is desired for any reason to have the auxiliary reservoir charged more gradually, I may,instead of having the air pass through the valve-chamber I directly to the auxiliary reservoir through the openings 7 in the head K, close that end of the valve-chamber adjoining such head K in any suitable manner-for example, by the screw-cap R shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1- and permit the air to pass to the auxiliary reservoir by way of ducts f f to the annular chamber f ,situated between the piston F and the main valve-casing A, said annular chamber f being connected directly with the auxiliary reservoir by longitudinal passages a, formed, preferably, in the body of the casingA and extending from the annular chamber f to the auxiliary reservoir. (See dotted lines in Fig. 1 and full lines in Fig. 3.) It is apparent that with this construction air will not pass from the train-pipe to the auxiliary reservoir with the same rapidity as when entering directly through valve-chamber I and the openings 7c in the head K, as the piston F holds the flange f firmly seated upon the projecting rim e' of the val ve-chamber lining I; but when the piston F is shifted to the left,either in service or emergency applications, unobstructed passage of air from the auxiliary reservoir through the passages a, the annular chamber 3 5 f and the valve-chamber I is permitted.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a triple valve, the combination of the train-pipe, auxiliary reservoir and brake-cylinder, with a main slide-valve which alone controls the venting of the train-pipe and the passage of auxiliary-reservoir air to the brakecylinder for emergency applications and the release of air from the brake-cy1inder,a graduthe main valve for service applications and 7 an operating-piston connected to said graduating-valve and having a shoulder on its stem which shoulder abuts against the main valve only when moving to service or emergency positions.

3. The combination of the main slide-valve which alone controls the venting of the trainpipe and the passage of auxiliary-reservoir air to the brake-cylinder for emergency applications and the release of air from the brake-cylinder, with a graduating-valve seating on a valve seat in a chamber in the main valve having a stem projecting outward from said chamber, an operating-piston con-- nected to said projecting stem, and having a part with a shoulder abutting said main valve,-

whereby said main valve is pushed to service or emergency positions by said shoulder and is pulled to release position by said graduating-valve.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrib= ing witnesses.

WILLIAM B. MANN.

\Vitnesses:

PHILIP MAURO, EDOUARD C. PANITZ. 

